Spending spree - only the Premier League has spent more than Brazil's top-flight in 2026

Spending spree 

The Brasileiro Série A now sits second in the world among all of football's top-flights when it comes to money spent on transfer fees in 2026. At the close of the international transfer window this week, the Brazilian league reached the mark of €265 million spent on new signings and is second only to the Premier League, which forked out €453m in the January transfer window.

On the last day of the window, Fluminense and Santos spent €16m, increasing the amount paid by Brazilian clubs on signings. The third league with the highest spending on signings in 2026 is Italy's Serie A, with €244m spent by clubs in the January window. The Brasileirão is expected to exceed its 2025 figure, when it broke its all-time record with €523.1m spent on signings. The amount spent in the first three months of this year already exceeds 50% of last year's total. The international transfer window in Brazil will reopen on 20 July and close on 11 September.

The most expensive signing in the country this year is also the most expensive in the history of the Brasileirão. To repatriate midfielder Lucas Paquetá, Flamengo paid €42m to West Ham. The second most expensive signing in history also took place during this window, with Cruzeiro paying €27m to Zenit for Gerson. Palmeiras were also aggressive in the market and signed Jhon Arias, who was at Wolves, for €25m.